The state of Delaware is known as the “Small Wonder”, but it has a surprisingly large death row. With 17 men (10 of them African American) facing execution, Delaware’s death row is more than twice as big as Virginia’s, and more than 3 times the size of Maryland’s. And Delaware has the third highest per capita execution rate of any state in the U.S. (behind Oklahoma and Texas).

But now, a bill making its way through the state legislature may mean than no one else will be sent to Delaware’s death row. A death penalty repeal bill has already cleared the Delaware Senate, and will be taken up by the House on April 24.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley speaks to supporters and the media for death penalty repeal.

Montana and Maryland, what do they share With big Colorado, and small Delaware? Big Sky Montana’s a red state, it’s true, While Maryland’s one of the bluest of blue.

There’s one thing they all share – now take a deep breath – They all might abolish the punishment of death! Yes, these red and these blue states, the large and the small Might soon not conduct executions at all!

And you can take action if you live in these states, Because human rights change can’t be left to the fates. Just click on the links or pass on to a friend And in these 4 states executions may end.

When, last September, Ohio’s Republican Governor John Kasich stopped the execution of Joseph Murphy and granted him clemency, he reasoned that a childhood of “severe and sustained verbal, physical and sexual abuse from those who should have loved him” had left Murphy “destined for disaster.”

In that statement, Governor Kasich acknowledged our society’s cycle (really, progression) of violence – from child abuse to murder to execution – and acted to stop it. (At least for this one case – Ohio has 14 more executions scheduled between now and January 2014.)

Delaware’s Board of Pardons and Governor face a similar choice in the case of Robert Gattis, who is slated to be put to death on January 20. Gattis suffered through a childhood experts have described as “catastrophic to his development.” Beginning as a small child, he was raped and molested and otherwise physically abused, by multiple abusers, including close family members. This seriously impaired his ability to function as an adult.